Hurricanes
What scale is used to measure hurricanes?
The Saffir-Simpson scale
What is thunder?
The sound of lightning shockwave heating the air
What is the scale used for classifying tornadoes?
The Enhanced Fujita Intensity Scale
Violent thunderstorms are most often associated with which type of front?
Cold front
What are things hurricanes need to form and exist?
Warm water and rising air
How do you calculate the distance from you to a thunderstorm?
After you see lightning, you count the seconds until you hear thunder and then divide by 5
What is a storm surge?
When water is pushed toward the shore by force of winds
The storm surge causes the most deaths
What are the 2 major types of thunderstorms?
Air Mass and Frontal
What is peak tornado season?
Spring
What is the most intense part of a hurricane?
The eye wall
The 3 factors necessary for thunderstorm formation
Moisture, lifting, and unstable atmosphere
Where do most tornadoes develop?
The leading edge of an advancing cold front (LP)
Tornado Alley
What has the most direct impact on the rotation of a hurricane?
The Coriolis Effect
What are things that weaken a hurricane?
Cold water and land
What are the three stages in the lifecycle of a thunderstorm?
Cumulus, mature and dissipating
Why are tornado formations so unpredictable?
Conditions that favor tornadoes appear quickly and unexpectedly
What is a self-sustaining powerful storm characterized by updrafts that can last for hours?
A Super Cell